Yu Jinxiao didn’t want to waste any more time reasoning with the little rascal. His face darkened as he said, “Alright, go play.”

“Yay!” Yuanyuan, now full, wiped her hands clean and grabbed Yu Yingze’s hand, urging him to come with her to check out the flower and animal-shaped plant walls.

There was also a large grassy field nearby that looked perfect for playing soccer.

Yu Yingze wasn’t particularly interested in accompanying Yuanyuan, but seeing her so excited, he couldn’t bear to disappoint her. So, he reluctantly agreed to walk around with her.

He thought he was Yuanyuan’s favorite, her one and only chosen brother, but…

She suddenly turned and invited Shen Ji!

Yu Yingze: Am I not your favorite brother anymore?!

Before he could protest, Yuanyuan grabbed his hand, “Second Brother, let’s go!”

And so, the little girl, with one brother on her left and one on her right, dragged them both off on their adventure.

There was a vast lawn nearby, bordered by low hedges with colorful wildflowers scattered across the ground. Butterflies fluttered gracefully above the flowers, and several children were already playing nearby.

“Wow, this is… um… that…” Yuanyuan’s excitement got the best of her, and she struggled to find the right word.

“Butterfly,” Shen Ji offered.

“Yeah! Butterfly!”

Shen Ji wasn’t particularly interested in the scenery. Normally, he wouldn’t have even stopped to look at such things. But today, something was different. Perhaps it was the company. The beautiful scenery around him unexpectedly brought him a sense of peace and calm.

“Do you want a butterfly? I’ll catch one for you. It should be easy,” Yu Yingze said, rolling up his sleeves, ready to catch a butterfly for Yuanyuan.

As soon as she heard that, Yuanyuan immediately panicked and rushed to block him with her tiny hands. “No! Don’t catch them! They’re flying so happily! Let them be!”

“…Alright.” Yu Yingze quietly rolled his sleeves back down.

Although he agreed not to catch any, Yuanyuan didn’t stay still for a second. She darted across the lawn, chasing the butterflies, admiring each one she saw.

Whenever she spotted one she particularly liked, she excitedly waved her arms and called out to them to look.

Yu Yingze, on the other hand, was so bored he yawned, while Shen Ji didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t dislike the peace of basking in the sun while keeping Yuanyuan company.

Suddenly, a ping-pong ball-sized rock cut through the air, striking one of the butterflies Yuanyuan had been chasing.

Yuanyuan froze in place, stunned, when another rock flew toward her, hitting her squarely on the forehead.

The sharp pain made Yuanyuan burst into tears.

The rocks had been thrown by three boys who had just arrived. They were aiming for the butterflies, and Yuanyuan was accidentally caught in the crossfire.

The boys, oblivious to what had happened, continued to pick up rocks, still trying to hit the butterflies, competing to see who could hit the most.

As more rocks flew toward Yuanyuan, Shen Ji and Yu Yingze quickly stepped in, using their arms to shield her from the barrage of stones.

Behind them, Yuanyuan cried pitifully, and even Yu Yingze, normally calm, was seething with anger. He pointed at one of the boys and shouted, “Hey! Are you blind? Didn’t you see there were people here? You hit someone! Come over and apologize, now!”

The boy Yu Yingze pointed at was about the same age as him, with narrow, slitted eyes that barely seemed open. Whether he was half-asleep or just naturally squinty, it wasn’t clear.

The squinty-eyed boy let out a snide laugh, “It’s her own fault for standing there like an idiot. If she got hit, she deserved it.”

The other two boys were no better—one had thick lips and small eyes, though not as narrow as the squinty-eyed boy’s, and the other looked fairly normal, but his bowl-cut haircut made him look ridiculous.

Looking at the trio of low-budget versions of bullies, Yuanyuan couldn’t help but feel that Yu Yingze and Shen Ji were incredibly handsome by comparison.

“Second Brother,” Yuanyuan cried, rushing to hug Yu Yingze, “They’re scary…”

The three boys exchanged confused glances.

Scary? Us?

Yu Yingze sneered, “You’re so ugly, you scared my sister.”